Regular cannabis use is associated with altered activation of central executive and default mode networks even after prolonged abstinence in adolescent users: Results from a complementary meta-analysis
Grace Blest‐hopley, Vincent Giampietro, Sagnik Bhattacharyya
Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 2019 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.10.026 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Meta-analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Adolescent and other cannabis users and non-cannabis-using controls; 361 current cannabis users versus 394 controls, and 98 abstinent cannabis users versus 106 controls |
| Duration | Abstinence for over 25 days (or 600 hours) |
| Measures | fMRI |
| Topics | Cannabis Default mode network |
| Key findings | Across 20 fMRI studies, adolescent abstinent cannabis users showed significantly greater activation in dorsolateral and ventrolateral prefrontal and posterior parietal cortices, regions tied to executive functioning, attentional control, and the default mode network, compared with non-using controls. No significant activation differences were found between abstinent and current cannabis users. The authors caution that the abstinence findings come from overlapping samples and need independent confirmation. |
Abstract
HighlightsAdolescent abstinent cannabis users showed significantly greater activation in the dorsolateral and ventrolateral prefrontal and posterior parietal cortices compared to controls.Adolescent users showed increased activation in regions involved in executive functioning, attentional control and the default mode network compared to non‐using controls.No significant group differences in brain activation observed between abstinent and current adolescent cannabis users. &NA; Whether the effects of cannabis use on brain function persist or recover following abstinence remains unclear. Therefore, using meta‐analytic techniques, we examined whether functional alterations measured using fMRI persist in cannabis users abstinent for over 25 days (or 600 h) as evidence suggests that the effects on cognitive performance no longer persist beyond this period. Systematic literature search identified 20 studies, of which, 12 examined current cannabis users (CCU) (361 CCU versus 394 non‐cannabis using controls (NU)) and 3 examined abstinent cannabis users (ACU) in 5 separate comparisons (98 ACU versus 106 NU). Studies in ACU were carried out in adolescents and suggest significantly greater activation in components of the central executive and default mode networks in adolescent ACU compared to NU. While this evidence is to be interpreted with caution because studies were carried out in overlapping samples, they indicate a pressing need for independent confirmation whether certain neurofunctional alterations in adolescent cannabis users may persist even after cannabis and its metabolites are likely to have left their bodies.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The wandering brain: Meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging studies of mind-wandering and related spontaneous thought processes | 2015 | Meta-analysis | |
| Investigating the Functional Heterogeneity of the Default Mode Network Using Coordinate-Based Meta-Analytic Modeling | 2009 | Meta-analysis | |
| The Default Mode Network in Healthy Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy individuals | 2016 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| Dreaming as mind wandering: evidence from functional neuroimaging and first-person content reports. | 2013 | Systematic review with meta-analytic comparison | |
| Default Mode Network Modulation by Psychedelics: A Systematic Review Participants from included studies | 2022 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 15
- Use of Marijuana: Effect on Brain Health: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association Stroke February 10, 2022
- Unraveling the Intoxicating and Therapeutic Effects of Cannabis Ingredients on Psychosis and Cognition Frontiers in Psychology May 14, 2020
- Associations between regular cannabis use and brain resting-state functional connectivity in adolescents and adults Journal of Psychopharmacology July 29, 2023
- Neuropsychological effects of cannabis use by continent and age: a systematic review Frontiers in Psychology May 28, 2026
- The role of subcortical brain tissue iron as an indicator of dopamine neurophysiology in adolescent cannabis use. Neuropsychopharmacology June 2, 2026
and 10 more in the library
Cites 25
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- Acute and chronic effects of cannabinoids on effort-related decision-making and reward learning: an evaluation of the cannabis ‘amotivational’ hypotheses Psychopharmacology September 2, 2016
- Acute memory and psychotomimetic effects of cannabis and tobacco both ‘joint’ and individually: a placebo-controlled trial Psychological Medicine May 30, 2017
- Does thinner right entorhinal cortex underlie genetic liability to cannabis use? Psychological Medicine December 2018
- Previous cannabis exposure modulates the acute effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol on attentional salience and fear processing. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology December 2018
and 20 more in the library